Read recent news articles featuring Councilmember Pete Furman, as well as his published opinion pieces.
Council looks at options to move visible homeless elsewhere
PUBLISHERS NOTE: This story was updated at 8:40AM on 12/8/24 to remove an inaccurate and out of context quote by Sedona Councilman Pete Furman regarding affordable and workforce housing. This was a Sedona Red Rock News editorial error. We apologize to councilman Furman for any issues this error may have caused.
Continue Reading Council looks at options to move visible homeless elsewhere
Sedona’s new fees expected to lead the state
Furman said that he was leaning toward Pfaff’s proposal of “stroking a check on projects that we want … rather than mess with the math here.”
“That’s kind of the simplest way to get where we want to go,” Furman said.
Continue Reading Sedona’s new fees expected to lead the state
Sedona City Council holds up Posse Grounds flagpole to check size and height
The request for a permanent flagpole was initially made by Councilman Pete Furman, who was absent, and was presented to council by Jack Ross, president of the Sedona Area Veteran and Community Outreach nonprofit.
Continue Reading Sedona City Council holds up Posse Grounds flagpole to check size and height
City moves to swat private sport courts
Furman called for a focus on “percussive noise sports” and termed pickleball “particularly disturbing,”
Sedona’s outrageously high pay-to-play development fees dooms workers, modest housing and workforce housing
Councilman Pete Furman adroitly remarked, “When you look at this stuff, it sure looks like we’re trying to prevent housing.”
Sedona City Council wise to not pursue Sedona Airport takeover
We commend the Sedona City Council for its unanimous decision to refrain from taking over the Sedona Airport.
Continue Reading Sedona City Council wise to not pursue Sedona Airport takeover
Applaud four Sedona City Council members who OK’d Saddlerock Crossing and 46 workforce housing units
We commend the four members of the Sedona City Council — Councilwomen Melissa Dunn and Jessica Williamson and Councilmen Brian Fultz and Pete Furman — who voted in the majority on Tuesday, Sept. 24, to approve the Saddlerock Crossing development at Soldier Pass and State Route 89A.
Sedona’s housing fees top regional charts
“When you look at this stuff, it sure looks like we’re trying to prevent housing,” Councilman Pete Furman said.
Potential airport takeover stalls on takeoff
“I’m asking myself, what is the problem that we’re trying to solve, and I don’t see what it is,” Furman said. “I’m not sure why we would ever consider this as an option.”
Continue Reading Potential airport takeover stalls on takeoff
Saddlerock Crossing gets zone change in 4-3 vote
Councilman Pete Furman said a hotel would be preferable to more STRs and called the idea of requiring developments to provide housing for all employees “dangerous, ill-conceived.”
Continue Reading Saddlerock Crossing gets zone change in 4-3 vote
Council to move ahead with 15 mph OHV speed limit
Councilman Pete Furman asked whether the city’s noise ordinance could be used as an excuse to ticket OHVs for engine noise, which Christianson responded would be preempted by state statute.
Continue Reading Council to move ahead with 15 mph OHV speed limit
Schnebly roundabout underpass cost rises another $201K
Agendized as a consent item, the change order was pulled for a discussion by Councilman Pete Furman.
Continue Reading Schnebly roundabout underpass cost rises another $201K
Council chooses Phoenix firm for new Cultural Park master plan
“Is this going to be one big project? Is it going to be phased? Is it going to be parceled out in sort of multiple littler projects?” Councilman Pete Furman asked.
Continue Reading Council chooses Phoenix firm for new Cultural Park master plan
4-3 Sedona City Council overturns unanimous P&Z approval of Oak Creek Heritage Lodge
I do think I have a high standard for overturning a P&Z recommendation … and I don’t think that burden was met tonight,” Councilman Pete Furman said. He suggested adding requirements to incorporate wildlife corridors and endangered species protections in future Land Development Code revisions.
City authorizes up to $18M in garage bonds
“I prefer that the emergency clause be removed from this action,” Furman said. “Governments move slow for good and frustrating reasons … It also subverts the public process. We need to be very conscious of that. I don’t think that a two-week delay in interest rate risk has made the case for me that we should revert to an emergency clause … there’s a difference between can and should.”
Council votes $150,000 for summer marketing
Furman was opposed to any out-of-area marketing.
Continue Reading Council votes $150,000 for summer marketing
Council approves $17.5M contract for $26M garage
“We’re all shocked — stressed — about the price of the garage,” Councilman Pete Furman said.
Continue Reading Council approves $17.5M contract for $26M garage
Council approves Bowers subdivision plat
“I share some of the concern that maybe this isn’t the highest and best use of the property, but the owners have some rights, and we have to respect them,” Councilman Pete Furman said before asking whether it would require different work to install utilities for single-family versus multi-family development.
City to fund 80% of visitor center for one more year
“I am absolutely convinced that the Visitor Center is well run,” Councilman Pete Furman said. “But here’s the thing that keeps tripping me up. We all recognize that 5% of our visitors are coming there. But you look at the visitor intercept data that we studied from our tourism bureau, 15% of the people that are here usually or always look for one. We’re getting a third of them into our Visitor Center. Something is not right. Something isn’t working … that speaks to me that our approach isn’t right … the future of the Visitor Center looks radically different.”
Continue Reading City to fund 80% of visitor center for one more year
City council proposes local DMV to control OHVs
“I was hoping to hear a little more enthusiasm from the Forest Service,” Councilman Pete Furman said. “The heavy-handed approach is just necessary.”
Continue Reading City council proposes local DMV to control OHVs
Councilmembers Interview – Podcast April 14, 2024
Steve Williamson welcomes three members of the Sedona City Council: Pete Furman, Melissa Dunn, and Brian Fultz to discuss some of the more controversial issues facing the city.
Continue Reading Councilmembers Interview – Podcast April 14, 2024
Homeless safe parking may go to voters; project put on hold
Helping people who are experiencing vehicular homelessness is a worthy goal, said Councilor Pete Furman. He wants to help the worker who’s been kicked out of his rental because of short-term rentals or that school kid who is sleeping in their car.
Continue Reading Homeless safe parking may go to voters; project put on hold
Council votes 6-1 to OK car camp for homeless workers
At Furman’s suggestion, the council also directed staff to provide monthly reports on the participants enrolled in the camping program and amended the proposed zone change to limit it to a roughly two-year period running through June 30, 2026. The parcel will revert to the Cultural Park’s original planned development zoning after that date.
Continue Reading Council votes 6-1 to OK car camp for homeless workers
City Council plans homeless camp at Sedona Cultural Park
“I would encourage you to make good progress on benchmarks before the program is approved,” Furman said.
Continue Reading City Council plans homeless camp at Sedona Cultural Park
Sedona City Council rejects own study on OHVs & health
“I’m really quite concerned about this study … Not only did we have experts in the field come out and do a dust study two days after it rained “…“We also know at this point that [Forest Road] 152 and [Forest Road] 525 were closed for parts of this study,”
Continue Reading Sedona City Council rejects own study on OHVs & health
City interviews four candidates for new manager
At the Nov. 29 meeting, Furman again voted against going into executive session to conduct hiring discussions and instead conduct them in public.
“I think the process creation discussions are best done in a public meeting,” Furman said, confirming that his vote was in pursuit of government transparency. “After all, we are setting policy.”
Continue Reading City interviews four candidates for new manager
Sedona City Council moves forward on Uptown parking garage planning
“I’m supportive of us moving forward and getting the number. I am scared to death of it,” Furman said. He also pointed out that charging for garage parking would be a disincentive for redevelopment of existing paid lots.
Continue Reading Sedona City Council moves forward on Uptown parking garage planning
Sedona City Council decides against ESG investment strategy
“It’s not clear to me that now is the right time,” Councilman Pete Furman said. “It’s not our money, it’s other people’s money, and we have a duty, in my opinion, about how we treat that money.”
Continue Reading Sedona City Council decides against ESG investment strategy
Sedona City Council’s lack of transparency in picking our leaders is distressing
We applaud Sedona City Councilman Pete Furman for arguing that the process should be more transparent, not less. The rest of council shouldn’t have anything to hide — unless they do — but without them meeting in public, we’ll never know what they may want to keep secret.
Continue Reading Sedona City Council’s lack of transparency in picking our leaders is distressing
Yavapai County talks OHV use on public lands
Two items Furman wants the state legislature to look at is regulating the speed of OHVs on dirt roads and the volume of use.
Continue Reading Yavapai County talks OHV use on public lands
Council says ‘no’ to public discussion on new city manager
“We all want to honor our obligations under the open meeting law,” Furman told the council. “Nothing in the law says that we have to convene behind closed doors, even for authorized topics, unless the law specifies that we must.
Continue Reading Council says ‘no’ to public discussion on new city manager
Council talks tax trends and STR revenue share
“I keep trying to look at this data to understand the impact of short-term rentals on our community,” Councilman Pete Furman said, examining a graph showing historical changes in revenues. “Why can’t we get this split up between short-term rentals and hotels?”
Continue Reading Council talks tax trends and STR revenue share
Council defers Jablow’s OHV ban pending negotiations
“In a paragraph in the agreement, there’s talk about vehicles monitored by GPS,” Councilman Pete Furman said. “What’s the status of the discussions in the agreement here with our rental companies about whether they are willing to step up and do private enforcement of their private agreements with customers for speed limits?”
Continue Reading Council defers Jablow’s OHV ban pending negotiations
Commend Sedona City Council for its ordinance on new ordinances
We would like to commend Sedona City Councilman Pete Furman and Councilwoman Kathy Kinsella for getting their ordinance on ordinances passed de facto unanimously at the July 11 meeting and thereby requiring new city laws to be read twice.
Continue Reading Commend Sedona City Council for its ordinance on new ordinances
City council increases proposed budget to $85.6 million
“I do ponder a question about whether we should pursue an independent analysis of employee satisfaction somehow, if there isn’t something we’re missing,” Furman said.
Continue Reading City council increases proposed budget to $85.6 million
City council offers to fund 80% of Visitor Center
“I’m not comfortable with an 80-20 split,” Furman added, noting that among the service provider contracts the council had awarded earlier at the same meeting, “nobody is even over 60%” for city funding. However, he said he would agree to 80% funding for one year in a spirit of partnership.
Continue Reading City council offers to fund 80% of Visitor Center
Sedona considers restricting off-road vehicle access on city streets, highways
“I might remind all of us that the Goldwater Institute and the Arizona state legislature didn’t think short-term rentals would be harmful in any way either,” Furman said.
Continue Reading Sedona considers restricting off-road vehicle access on city streets, highways
Council votes to form tourism board, emulate Thelma & Louise
“We’re moving way too fast to create a structure that will be very difficult to alter if we decide a different structure is needed,” Furman advised. “We need much more time and thought about the structure, the mission.”
Continue Reading Council votes to form tourism board, emulate Thelma & Louise
Arabella Spa to move forward after 4-3 approval
“I don’t know why we would think it’s a good idea,” Councilman Pete Furman said, arguing that the application did not meet the city’s Land Development Code requirements because of the absence of a proper traffic analysis.
Continue Reading Arabella Spa to move forward after 4-3 approval
Why Sedona’s Tourism Bureau Fired Its City Over Destination Marketing
“It got to the point where somebody had to make a bold decision,” said city councilman Peter Furman. “The chamber pulled the trigger first.”
Continue Reading Why Sedona’s Tourism Bureau Fired Its City Over Destination Marketing
City Council Debates Freedom of Speech
“I would rather be on the side of free speech than not,” Furman said.
City council members push pet project
Sedona Dog Park expansion and water use. Policy making is compromise.
Letter to Red Rock News Editor: City-Chamber Divorce
Letter to the Editor of the Red Rock News
Continue Reading Letter to Red Rock News Editor: City-Chamber Divorce
City councilors, staff explore splitting Chamber of Commerce from tourism bureau
The Sedona City Council and Sedona Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau held a joint meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 11, to discuss the future relationship between the city and the chamber. Photo by Daulton Venglar/Larson Newspapers The joint work session between the Sedona City Council and the Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau on…
Continue Reading City councilors, staff explore splitting Chamber of Commerce from tourism bureau
Pete Furman, Brian Fultz, Melissa Dunn elected to Sedona City Council
By Juliana Walter -August 8, 2022 Six candidates vied for the three open spots on the Sedona City Council and by Wednesday morning, the results appear to indicate candidates Pete Furman, Brian Fultz and Melissa Dunn won the seats. The Yavapai County Recorder’s Office estimated at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 3, that 17,000 early…
Continue Reading Pete Furman, Brian Fultz, Melissa Dunn elected to Sedona City Council
Candidate Essay: Pete Furman will use outcome-based measures to gauge progress
Published June 23, 2022 in the Sedona Red Rock News I’m Pete Furman, candidate for Sedona City Council. I’m running to improve the quality of life for Sedona residents, help protect our environment and maintain local control. Talking with residents and business owners, I hear fears and concerns about a declining quality of life. People…
Continue Reading Candidate Essay: Pete Furman will use outcome-based measures to gauge progress
Candidate Spotlight: Pete Furman has Experience Working in Local Governments
Pete Furman’s Answers to Red Rock News Questions for Sedona City Council Candidates. Published June 10, 2022 in the Sedona Red Rock News How long have you been living in Sedona? I first visited Sedona in 1986, and moved here full-time in March of 2018 with my wife, Lisa Voss. What do you or did…
Continue Reading Candidate Spotlight: Pete Furman has Experience Working in Local Governments
Sedona.Biz Q&A
Interview With Sedona City Council Candidate Pete Furman Sedona Election News: The following is an interview with Sedona City Council candidate Pete Furman. All council candidates have been invited to answer specific questions in relation to their positions and candidacy. See the full interview at: https://sedona.biz/interview-with-sedona-city-council-candidate-pete-furman/
KAZM Democratic Perspective Interview
Fultz, Furman, Thompson Interview – Podcast March 7, 2022Identifying And Addressing The Issues Facing Sedona. Steve Williamson welcomes three candidates for Sedona City Council: Brian Fultz, Pete Furman, and incumbent John (JT) Thompson. Steve leads the candidates in a wide-ranging discussion that addresses many of the most important issues facing the city. All three offer…
Letter to the Red Rock News Editor
There’s concern in our community about taxpayer funding for the Chamber of Commerce. Some call to defund the Chamber, while others rally to its defense. The city budget process is the proper venue for this discussion. Thoughtful, fact-based arguments are needed to help us avoid unintended outcomes like increased problems with over-tourism, expanded city government,…
The Man Behind The Mayor
As Chuck Reed’s chief of staff, Pete Furman is part of a new wave of powerful outsiders at City Hall